Aperture and Depth of Field Photography Assignment

Aperture and Depth of Field

This assignment teaches photographers how to manipulate aperture and depth of field to achieve desired focus effects in their images. By experimenting with different f-numbers and compositions, students will learn to control what appears sharp and what remains blurred, enhancing storytelling through their photographs.

Learning Objectives

  • Understand the relationship between aperture settings and depth of field.
  • Learn to isolate subjects using shallow depth of field.
  • Master techniques for achieving deep depth of field in landscape photography.

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Before You Shoot

  • Choose a subject that can benefit from either shallow or deep depth of field.
  • Select a location with varied backgrounds to test depth of field effects.
  • Ensure your camera is set to Aperture Priority mode (A/Av) or Shutter Priority mode (S/Tv).
  • Set your ISO to a fixed value of 200.
  • Bring a tripod for stable shots when using slower shutter speeds.

The Assignment

Technical Focus

  • Use a wide aperture (e.g., f/2.8) to create shallow depth of field for portraits.
  • Utilize a narrow aperture (e.g., f/16) for landscapes to achieve maximum sharpness.
  • Experiment with different focal lengths to see how they affect depth of field.
  • Focus on the nearest eye when capturing portraits to ensure sharpness.
  • For landscapes, focus slightly beyond the nearest detail for optimal depth.

Creative Focus

  • Try to tell a story through selective focus by isolating key elements in your composition.
  • Incorporate foreground elements to enhance depth when using shallow depth of field.
  • Vary your angles and perspectives to see how they influence depth of field.
  • Create a series of images with varying depth of field for a cohesive narrative.
  • Use depth of field to guide the viewer's eye towards the main subject.

Assignment Tasks

  1. Use aperture priority mode at f/2.8 with ISO 200 fixed to photograph a portrait, focusing on the subject's eyes while blurring the background.
  2. Set your camera to aperture priority mode at f/16 with ISO 200 fixed and capture a landscape scene to achieve sharpness from foreground to background.
  3. Experiment with different focal lengths by taking the same portrait at f/2.8 and f/4 while changing your distance from the subject.
  4. Use shutter priority mode at 1/500s with ISO 200 fixed to capture a moving subject, allowing the camera to set the aperture for optimal depth of field.
  5. Shoot a close-up of a flower using aperture priority mode at f/4 with ISO 200 fixed, ensuring the background is softly blurred.
  6. Capture an image of a street scene at f/8 with ISO 200 fixed, allowing the camera to adjust shutter speed for a balanced exposure.

💡 Stretch Tasks

  • Create a diptych showcasing the same scene with both shallow and deep depth of field effects, using aperture priority mode for both.
  • Challenge yourself to use hyperfocal distance principles in a landscape shot by setting your aperture to f/11 with ISO 200 fixed.

DO / DON'T

DO

  • ✓ Do experiment with different aperture settings to see their effects on depth of field.
  • ✓ Do focus on the most important element in your composition to ensure it remains sharp.
  • ✓ Do use a tripod for landscape shots to avoid camera shake at slower shutter speeds.
  • ✓ Do review your images to analyze how different depths of field affect your storytelling.
  • ✓ Do practice switching between aperture and shutter priority modes to see how they influence your creative choices.

DON'T

  • ✗ Don't use manual mode with all settings specified; focus on priority modes instead.
  • ✗ Don't forget to check your background for distractions that may affect your depth of field.
  • ✗ Don't assume that shallow depth of field is always better; consider the context of your subject.
  • ✗ Don't rush your shots; take time to compose and adjust settings for optimal results.
  • ✗ Don't limit yourself to one type of subject; explore various scenes to understand depth of field.

Reflection Questions

  • How does manipulating aperture change the story you can tell with your images?
  • In what situations do you find shallow depth of field most effective?
  • What challenges did you encounter when trying to achieve deep depth of field?
  • How does the choice of focal length influence your depth of field outcomes?

📚 Related Reading

Before you start, read these related blog posts to deepen your understanding:

For Foundation Plus members: Submit 3 images from this assignment for personalised feedback in your next Zoom session. You should upload to the shared Dropbox folder - link provided by Alan when you joined Foundation Plus.

Alan RangerTechnical Foundations